Rower with foldable assembly

ABSTRACT

A rower folding structure includes a main frame provided with a stopper at the front and a screw lock seat with a locking bolt at the bottom, and a second frame pivotally connected to the front of the main frame and pivotable relative to the main frame between an unfolded position and a folded position. The second frame is provided with a buckle member at the bottom, which has an opening for the passing of the locking bolt. When the second frame is at the unfolded position, the buckle member abuts the screw lock seat and the locking bolt tightens the buckle member; when the second frame is at the folded position, the second frame abuts the stopper. In this way, the overall volume of the rower during transportation can be reduced.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to exercise equipment technology and more particularly, to a rower with foldable assembly.

2. Description of the Related Art

US Patent Publication No. 2018/0056117 discloses a rowing machine. As can be seen from FIG. 1A of the 2018/0056117 publication, the rowing machine includes a rail section 145 and a resistance mechanism 124 located behind the rowing machine, wherein, the resistance mechanism 124 is located behind the rail section 145, and the resistance mechanism 124 is not located below the rail section 145. As a result, the overall rowing machine is relatively bulky and is not conducive to storage and transportation.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,108,639 also describes a rowing machine, which includes a slide rail 31 and a lifting unit 40, and the lifting unit 40 is connected to the slide rail 31 to adjust the angle of the slide rail 31.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One of the objectives of the present invention is to improve various deficiencies in the prior art, and providing a folding structure of a rower, which can be folded to reduce the overall volume of the rower.

The present invention provides a rower with foldable assembly, which comprises a main frame and a second frame. The main frame comprises a stopper located at the front and a screw lock seat at the bottom. The screw lock seat is equipped with a locking bolt. The second frame is pivotally connected to the front of the main frame and pivotable relative to the main frame between an unfolded position and a folded position. The second frame comprises a buckle member at the bottom. The buckle member has an opening for the passing of the locking bolt. When the second frame is at the unfolded position, the buckle member abuts the screw lock seat and the locking bolt tightens the buckle member. When the second frame is at the folded position, the second frame abuts the stopper. In this way, the overall volume of the rower during transportation can be reduced.

Preferably, the screw lock seat is provided with a screw hole, and the locking bolt is locked to the screw hole.

Preferably, the buckle member comprises two opposite buckling portions and said opening is located in the center of the buckle member.

Preferably, the locking bolt comprises a threaded shank and a bolt head connected to each other. The threaded shank of the locking bolt is passed through the opening of the buckle member and screwed into the screw hole of the screw lock seat, and the bolt head abuts the buckle member and tightens the buckle member when the second frame is at the unfolded position.

The detailed structure, characteristics, assembly or use of the rower folding structure will be explained in the following preferred embodiment. However, it should be understood that the preferred embodiment and drawings described below are only illustrative, and should not be used to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a rower in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1a is similar to FIG. 1, with the pedals and the seat cushion omitted.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the rower of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the rower of the present invention, with the pedal and seat cushion omitted.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the rower of the present invention, with the pedal and seat cushion omitted.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the rower of the present invention, with the pedal and seat cushion omitted.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the rower of the present invention, with the pedal and seat cushion omitted.

FIG. 7 is a left view of the rower of the present invention, with the pedal and seat cushion omitted.

FIG. 8 is a right view of the rower of the present invention, with the pedal and seat cushion omitted.

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the seat cushion of the rower of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a partial front view of FIG. 2.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are partial elevational views of the rower from different angles.

FIG. 13 is a partial elevational view of the rower from another angle showing the rower in the unfolded position.

FIG. 14 is similar to FIG. 13, showing the rower in the folded position.

FIG. 15 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 16 is an elevational view of the handlebar of the rower of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a partial elevational view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 18 is a front view of the rower of the present invention, with the outer cover of the resistance device omitted.

FIG. 19 is a rear view of the rower of the present invention, with the outer cover of the resistance device omitted.

FIG. 20 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 1 to illustrate the resistance device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following, the technical content and features of the present invention will be described in detail by means of a preferred embodiment listed in conjunction with the drawings. The directional adjectives such as “up”, “down”, “inner”, “outer”, “top”, and “bottom” mentioned in the content of this specification are just examples of descriptive terms based on the normal direction of use, and are not intended to limit the scope of claims.

Furthermore, the singular forms of “a”, “one” and “said” as used in the scope of the claims of the present invention include multiple meanings. Therefore, for example, the description of “an element” refers to one or more elements, and includes equivalent replacements known to those with ordinary knowledge in the field. All conjunctions used in similar situations should also be understood as the broadest meaning. The specific shapes and structural features or technical terms described in the description content should also be understood to include equivalent replacement structures or technical terms that include the functions that can be achieved by the specific structure or technical terms.

In order to explain in detail the technical features of the present invention, the following preferred embodiment is given in conjunction with the drawings to illustrate as follows, wherein in order to facilitate the description of the following preferred embodiment, the following preferred embodiment will use the second frame 20 of the rower to be located in front of the rower as the direction reference.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, an embodiment of the present invention provides a rower 1, which comprises a main frame 10, a second frame 20, a handlebar 30, and a resistance device 40.

The main frame 10 comprises a slide rail 11 and a base 12 that are integrally connected. The slide rail 11 is located above the base 12. The slide rail 11 has a flat top surface, and the two sides of the slide rail 11 are respectively provided with a protruding edge portion 111. There is an accommodating space 13 between the slide rail 11 and the base 12, and the accommodating space 13 is used for the installation of the resistance device 40. As shown in FIG. 1, the rear half of the slide rail 11 is directly above the resistance device 40. There is also a set of pedals 14 on both sides of the front half of the main frame 10.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 9, a seat cushion 50 is slidably arranged on the slide rail 11. The seat cushion 50 structurally comprises a cushion body 51, a set of mounting brackets 52, two sets of upper rollers 53 and a set of lower rollers 54. The mounting brackets 52 are fixed at intervals to the bottom of the cushion body 51, and two upper connecting shafts 55 and two lower connecting shafts 56 are arranged between the mounting brackets 52. The two sets of upper rollers 53 are respectively rotatably arranged on the two upper connecting shafts 55. The lower rollers 54 are respectively rotatably arranged on the two lower connecting shafts 56. As shown in FIG. 1, the protruding edge portions 111 of the slide rail 11 are located between the upper rollers 53 and the lower rollers 54.

Referring to FIG. 2, the slide rail 11 is gradually bent upwards from front to back. The top surface of the slide rail 11 is an arc surface with a radius of curvature R. The radius of curvature R can be adjusted depending on the situation. In other possible cases, the top surface of the slide rail 11 may also be, for example, an ellipse or other forms of curved surfaces.

Since the slide rail 11 of this embodiment is gradually bent upwards from front to back, when the user pedals the set of pedals 14 with both feet and holds the handlebar 30 for rowing, the user's buttocks together with the seat cushion 50 will be sliding backwards along the slide rail 11, the height of the user in a sitting position will gradually increase as the seat cushion 50 slides backwards. Compared with the slide rail of the conventional rower that extends straight from front to back, the seat cushion 50 of this embodiment can rise higher along the bent slide rail 11. Therefore, the component force of the user's own weight required to load the legs of the user will be greater, which generates a higher weight load on the user's legs, and enhances the user's exercise and fitness effects.

The present invention also provides a folding mechanism of the rower 1, as seen in FIGS. 10 to 15.

Referring first to FIG. 13, second frame 20 is located in front of the main frame 10. The second frame 20 comprises a second frame body 21 and a shaft 22. One end of the shaft 22 is fixed to the second frame body 21, and the opposite end of the shaft 22 is pivoted to the front end of the main frame 10 see FIG. 15), so that the second frame 20 is allowed to pivot between an unfolded position (see FIG. 13) and a folded position (see FIG. 14) through its shaft 22. The shaft 22 is made of strong materials (e.g. metal, high density plastic, carbon fibers, etc.). The front end of the main frame 10 is also provided with a stopper 15. The stopper 15 is also made of strong materials (e.g. metal, high density plastic, carbon fibers, etc.). When the second frame 20 pivots to the folded position, the middle section of the shaft 22 abuts the stopper 15 of the main frame 10 and is stopped by the stopper 15, so that the second frame 20 cannot pivot further toward the main frame 10.

Referring also to FIGS. 10 to 12, the bottom of the front end of the main frame 10 is provided with a screw lock seat 16. The screw lock seat 16 is provided with a screw hole (hidden at the end of the locking bolt), and a locking bolt 17 is attached to the screw hole. The locking bolt 17 has a threaded shank (see FIG. 12) and a bolt head 19. There is a buckle member 23 at the bottom of the second frame 20. The buckle member 23 comprises two buckling portions 232 and an opening 231 is provided in the center. The above two buckling portions 232 are respectively located on the two sides of the opening 231 and extend toward the main frame 10. The opening 231 is for the locking bolt 17 to pass through. When the second frame 20 is in the unfolded position, the buckle member 23 abuts on the screw lock seat 16, the threaded shank of the locking bolt 17 passes through the opening 231 of the buckle member 23 and is screwed to the screw hole of the screw lock seat 16, and the bolt head 19 abuts the buckle member 23 and tightening the buckle member 23, so that the second frame 20 and the main frame 10 can be integrated through the buckle member 23, the screw lock seat 16 and the locking bolt 17.

When the user needs to collapse the rower 1 and needs to pivot the second frame 20 from the unfolded position to the folded position, the user can first loosen the locking bolt 17 so that the bolt head 19 of the locking bolt 17 no longer tightens the buckle member 23, and then the user can hold the second frame 20 and pivot the second frame 20 to the folded position. At this time, the middle section of the shaft 22 is stopped by the stopper 15. In this way, the overall volume of the rower 1 and the volume during transportation can be reduced, allowing users to fold the rower 1 when finished using the rower 1, to save space.

The present invention also provides a handlebar fixing mechanism of the rower 1. Referring to FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, the handlebar 30 can be held by the user for exercise, so as to achieve the effect of exercise and fitness. As shown in FIG. 16, the bottom of the handlebar 30 is provided with a slot 31, and the slot 31 is provided with a first magnetically attractive member 32. In this embodiment, the first magnetically attractive member 32 is an iron sheet. The second frame 20 also has a protruding portion 24. The size of the protruding portion 24 corresponds to the size of the slot 31, and the configuration of the protruding portion 24 is complementary to the slot 31 of the handlebar 30, so that the handlebar 30 can be integrated with the protruding portion 24 of the second frame 20 through its slot 31. The protruding portion 24 of the second frame 20 is provided with a second magnetically attractive member 241. The second magnetically attractive member 241 is a magnet in this embodiment. The second magnetically attractive member 241 can magnetically attract the first magnetically attractive member 32, so that the handlebar 30 is more firmly combined with the protruding portion 24 of the second frame 20.

Through the design of the handlebar fixing mechanism of the above embodiment, when the user wants to collapse the rower 1, because the handlebar 30 is integrated with the second frame 20 through its slot 31, and the first magnetically attractive member 32 in the slot 31 is attracted by the second magnetically attractive member 241 of the second frame 20, the handlebar 30 can be firmly combined with the second frame 20. Therefore, in the process of bending the second frame 20, the handlebar 30 is not easy to separate from the second frame 20. Therefore, the user can fold the handlebar 30 relatively conveniently and easily, and can avoid the handlebar 30 from being damaged by accidental falling during the folding process.

In order to effectively reduce the overall volume of the rower 1, the resistance device 40 is also placed under the slide rail 11 in this embodiment. Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 18 to 20.

As shown in FIG. 20, the entire resistance device 40 is a modular design, and the entire resistance device 40 is located directly below the rear half of the slide rail 11.

As shown in FIG. 18, the resistance device 40 comprises a housing 41, a driving wheel 42, a driven wheel 43, a magnetoresistor 44, and an outer cover 47. The driving wheel 42 comprises a rope reel 421 and a pulling reel 422 coaxially arranged (as shown in FIG. 20). The handlebar 30 is connected with a first rope 45, and the first rope 45 is connected to the rope reel 421 by way of internal wiring. The pulling reel 422 is connected to the drived wheel 43 through a belt, for example. Therefore, when the user pulls the handlebar 30, the first rope 45 can drive the driving wheel 42 and the driven wheel 43 to rotate.

The second frame 20 also has a resistance adjustment button 25, which is connected to a second rope 46. The second rope 46 is connected to the magnetoresistor 44 through internal wiring, so as to control the magnetoresistor 44 to approach or stay away from the driven wheel 43, thereby forming a magnetic resistance to the driven wheel 43.

Compared with the conventional rower that has the resistance device positioned in the front half of the rower, the invention has the resistance device 40 be set in the rear half of the rower 1 and below the slide rail 11, so that the overall volume of the rower 1 can be further reduced.

Finally, it must be explained again that the methods and constituent elements disclosed in the foregoing preferred embodiment of the present invention are only examples, and are not used to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any simple structural modification or change made without going beyond the spirit of the present invention, or replacement with other equivalent components, should still fall within the scope of the patent application of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A rower with foldable assembly, comprising: a main frame comprising a stopper located at a front thereof and a screw lock seat located at a bottom thereof, said screw lock seat being equipped with a locking bolt; a second frame pivotally connected to the front of said main frame and pivotable relative to said main frame between an unfolded position and a folded position, said second frame comprising a buckle member located at a bottom thereof, said buckle member comprising an opening for the passing of said locking bolt; wherein when said second frame is at said unfolded position, said buckle member abuts said screw lock seat and said locking bolt tightens said buckle member; when said second frame is at said folded position, said second frame abuts said stopper.
 2. The rower with foldable assembly according to claim 1, wherein said screw lock seat is provided with a screw hole, and said locking bolt is locked to said screw hole.
 3. The rower with foldable assembly according to claim 1, wherein said buckle member comprises two opposite buckling portions and said opening is located in the center of said buckle member.
 4. The rower with foldable assembly according to claim 2, wherein said locking bolt comprises a threaded shank and a bolt head connected to each other, said threaded shank of said locking bolt being passed through the opening of the buckle member and screwed into said screw hole of said screw lock seat, and said bolt head abutting said buckle member and tightening said buckle member when said second frame is at said unfolded position. 